Wellness Friday: Rest Days, A Retailer to Support, + A New Goal.

Happy Friday! How did everyone do this week? I’m going to change the format up a little this week based on feedback in the community page and on Instagram. I’ve noticed a drop in comments on the weekly challenges, and I’d grown to feel they were getting a little bit stale myself. I basically give you guys the same challenge every week (5 workouts, try something new, etc etc.) It’s hard to come up with creative challenges every week, especially as a lot of the stuff I do is specific to NY and I want the challenges to be easy for everyone to do! I still really want you to share your progress (and selfishly I love sharing my progress here as it keeps me accountable) BUT I’m moving the stuff that’s always the same (my workouts, trying something new, healthy links) to the bottom of the post in favor of writing a bit more. I hope you like the new format, let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see! xo

Okay first of all, who bought an acupressure mat this week, and are you LOVING IT?It definitely takes a bit of getting used to (and you have to work your way up with the duration) but I am obsessed now. I’m going to do a full review of mine in next week’s Friday wellness column but in the meantime I want know your thoughts so far and how you’re using it.

Rest Days. The thing I want to talk about this week is the importance of rest. On Wednesday I did a treadmill workout and just felt just… destroyed afterwards. My hips and my back… everything ached!!! Despite only having run for 25 minutes I spent a full half hour stretching and foam rolling afterward. I got home and was just SO. SORE. After laying on my acupressure mat for a while I looked at my little workout calendar (I have a paper calendar where I write down every work out), only to realize that I’d worked out twelve straight days with no rest. Oops. Now keep in mind that I alternate yoga and running so rest didn’t seem thaaat important but it definitely is. I had originally booked an afternoon yoga class for the same day and cancelled it in favor of working from le couch and swapping that yoga class for a massage. I’m taking yesterday and today off to really get a good rest in. So this week, my challenge to you is to do something good and restorative for yourself. It could be a restorative yoga class (my favorite), it could be treating yourself to a massage, it could just be spending a full half hour foam rolling… but anyway yeah. Rest and recovery is important. So give yourself a day off, and do something good for YOU this week!!!

Dick’s Sporting Goods! A reader (thanks Rachel T!!) brought this article to my attention and I wanted to share it here. (You can also read the brand’s statement here.) They are probably going to suffer quite a bit of backlash for their decision (which I personally think is really awesome). I don’t usually shop at Dick’s (full disclosure, they aren’t a part of any of the affiliate networks I belong to, so it’s better for me to shop at Nordstrom, etc.) but I am going to start shopping there now. I am in the market for a new pair of running sneakers they will most definitely be coming from Dick’s!

A new goal! I think it’s important to set goals that aren’t totally tied to looks and weight loss. Things about getting stronger, running a certain distance, etc. My new goal is to be able to do a headstand at yoga by the end of May. Inversions scare the shit out of me (I’m clumsy and have so little upper body/core strength) but I really want to challenge myself.

This sweatshirt is one of the softest things I’ve ever put on my body. It’s amazing. It runs big (I’m wearing a small and it’s loose, though it’s definitely on the shorter side).

This week’s something new: I treated myself to a deep tissue massage at Massage Williamsburg. It was pretty amazing. I honestly don’t remember the last time I needed a massage this badly. I had been dying to find a good massage spot in Williamsburg and a reader (thanks Leah!) recommended it over on the community page. It’s stupid but I feel like getting on the subway after a massage undoes all the relaxation benefits of the massage… being able to walk home afterward was nice and relaxing.

Workouts:

Friday – 25 minute run + LOTS of stretching and foam rolling. I was so sore! I might have stretched for longer than I ran. #old

Tuesday – Sky Ting Yoga Class. This class was like magic. I woke up so tired and with a little bit of a hangover feeling like I needed a massage REALLY BADLY. An hour later, I felt like a brand new person. I like Sky Ting because of how deep we go with the stretches… I really needed it!

While I have NOT tried them, these leggings look just like Outdoor Voices! If I hadn’t just basically upgraded my entire workout wardrobe with OV, I would be all over them.. at least just to see how they measure up (in general I am a BIG fan of Old Navy’s workout stuff – it doesn’t last quite as long as my pricier stuff but it holds up surprisingly well!)